Improvement in carbureters



A. W'. PDRTER & F. M. GRIMES.

CARBURETER.

Patented Apr118.18-76.

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)L PETERS. FNDTO-LITHDGIUPMER. WASHINGTON. D C.

UNITED STATES PATENT EEOE.

ALONZO W. PORTER AND FRANCIS M. GRIMES, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

IMPROVEMENT IN CARBURETERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 176,349, dated April18, 1876; application led February 26, 1876.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that we, ALONZO W. PORTER andFRANCIS M. GRnvrEs, of New York, in the county of New York and State ofNew York, have invented a new and valuable Improvement in Air and GrasGarbureters; and we do hereby declare that the following is a full,clear, and exact description of the construction and operation of thesame, reference being had to the annexed drawings, making a part of thisspecification, and to the letters and figures of reference markedthereon.

Figure 1 ofthe drawings is a representation of a transverse verticalsection of our carbureter, and Fig. 2 is a sectional detail viewthereof. v

This invention has relation to apparatus for carbureting air or gas forilluminating purposes; and the nature of our invention consists mainlyin improved automatic means of securing a uniform temperature oi' thehydrocarbon fluids during the process of carbureting; also, in animproved automatic feed for supplying the hydrocarbon fluid to acarbureting vessel or chamber; and the invention further consists inimproved means-for additional safety in the process of equalizing thetemperature of the hydrocarbon fluids and the water surrounding thecarbureting-vessel, as will be hereinafter more fully set forth.

In the annexed drawings, A represents a vessel or tank, within which iscontained a smaller vessel, A', divided by a partition, o2, intochambers B and C. The lower chamber, B, of this vessel A may bedivided-into compartments of any form or shape for the pnrpose ofcarbureting air or gas. The upper chamber, C, is designed to holdhydrocarbon lluids, and is filled by the supply-pipe a3. The hydrocarbonfluid passes from the chamber O through the cock f, and downwardlythrough pipe e2, into the glass bottle el, overiiowing into the feed-boxE, and thence through communicating pipe d into the carbureting-chamberB, where the hydrocarbon fluid undergoes the ordinary evaporatingprocess for illuminating purposes.

When the hydrocarbon fluid rises in the feed-box E,fit causes the oat eto move vertically, carrying therewith thebottle el, there by submergingthe lower end of the feed-pipe e2 in the mercury contained in the bottleel, thereby stopping the overow of hydrocarbon. Cork, bees-wax, or anyother suitable subtanoe harder than mercury, may be used in the bottomof the bottle to assist the mercury in sealing the lower end of the pipee2. 1n case the mercury should ever escape from the bottle e1 it wouldow into the vessel or cup g, made of glass or black-iron, where it wouldbe arrested and prevented from damaging the feed-box E.

In case the mercury should need replenishing in the glass bottle el, thebottle can be lifted from its cup in the iioat and relled to therequired height.

Between the vessels A A is formed a space, l, filled with water flowingfreely around the carbureting-vessel A. The letters F, G, and Hrepresent the hydrothermostat, hereinafter more fully described, formaintaining the water in the space l at a uniform temperature at anydegree below 550 and above 320 Fahrenheit, also keeping the hydrocarboniluid in the carbureting-vessel at the desired temperature forcarbureting air or gas. A communication is formed between the space land the space l', formed by the cases `F and G by means of the pipes bb2, to allow the water to liow freely from said space lof the carbureterinto the said space l of the hydrothermostat, and into the verticaltubes h of sealed air-box G. The water passes into the box D throughpipe a2 and valve al, and therefrom through the pipeb and perforatedcoil b1 into the space l between the vessels at a temperature below 550und above 320 Fahrenheit. The -sealed box G contains air; the tube Hcontains mercury surrounding the tube J. The latter extends below thetube H, and communicates with the air-chamber in the sealed box G., asshown in Fig. 1 of the drawings. The inverted cup I forms a cap for theinner air-tube J, and is sealed at its lower end by the mercury in tubeH. The upper end of this inverted cup I is provided with a rod, m, towhich is pivoted, at its upper end, a walking-beam, N, having itsfulcruni in the vertical rod o, and at the outer end of the walking-beamis pivoted the connecting-rod P, the lower end of which is pivoted tothe crank-arm i" of an oscillating disk in the waste-cock i'.

The inverted cup lis inoved upward and downward by the expansion orcontraction of the air in the sealed box (i, which is surrounded bywater in the space I, and when the water becomes chilled by theevaporation of the hydrocarbon tiuids in chamber l a number of degreesbelow the starting temperature the air contracts in the box G, whichchanges the temperature, lowers the inverted cup I, thereby operatingthe walking-beam, opening the ports of the valve, and allowing the coldwater to escape through outlet er ot' the waste-cock yi.

The pipe a2 is connected with a steam-boiler or bath-boiler, and as thecold water escapes from the wastecock, warm or hot water will follow oriiow to supply the outtlowing cold Water, and mingle with the cold waterin the space l, from which it passes through pipe b2 into the space l'in the hydrotherinostat, raising the temperature of the water in saidspace to the initial degree, thus causing the air to expand in thesealed tubular air-box (I, and at the same time raising the inverted cupI. closing the ports of the valve in the wastecock fi, lifting the tioata in hot-water box 1), closing the ports of the valve a', and, finally,arresting the tiow and pressure of the water upon the carburetor. Thetubular air-box G is provided with a series of vertical tubes, h, todistribute the heat of the water to the inY terior of the sealed box G,and stay or brace the heads ot' the box.

The waste-cock t' (see Fig. 2) consists of the inlet and outlet chambersu and r. The chamber u is a detachable case provided with inletopening wand a central stud to sustain a spiral spring, t, pressing against aremovable oscillating perforated disk, y, and keeping it in contact withthe perforated valve-seat of chamber c. This valve-chamber r has asleeve, c', for the passage and protection of the piston zof theoscillating disk; also with an outletopening, w. The main object of thecoil in the water-space b, with its perforatious, is to equallydistribute the incoming hot or warm water around the carburetiugvesselas it takes the place of the escaped cold water without pressure. Theadvantages of using hot water over steam or hot air are threefold:first, economy, as it requires less fuel to make hot water than steam,and all the heat in the Water is utilized; second, convenience. Manyplaces are supplied with bath-boilers that have no steam-heatingapparatus nor engineer; and, third, safety, because hot water is mucheasier to control than steam or hot air, and is less liable to overheatthe apparatus.

It will be observed that the highest telliperature herein indicated asmaintained by the hydrothermostat is below that reached by the waters ofthe ocean in the month of August; but in the summer, when the apparatusis working and rapid evaporation is going on in the carbureter, thetemperature of the hydrocarbon Huids will fall to a lower nasse degreeand cbstruct the evaporation by the accumulation nf cold. The action ofthe hydrothermostat is then needed to correct the difference oftemperature as Well as in thc winter months when the apparatus has hadlong periods of rest.

The hydrothermostat will not operate until the apparatus is set to workand rapid evaporation reconnncnces. These facts relate only to instanceswhere the carbureter is used in places of larger consumption of gasDuring some portions of summer Weather the induction-pipe may beattached to au ordinary hydrant and goed results secured, inasmuch asthe hydrothcrmostat Will then insure to the hydrocarbon uuid atemperature of sutiicient coolness for the requirements of thecarbureting process.

This invention is an improvement on our patent granted September 21,1875, No. 16?,- 048.

Heretof'ore, prior to our invention, a Watertank or jacket entirelysurrounding a carbureting-vessel and its supply-reservoir has been used,and we therefore lay no broad claim to suoli device.

Te claim-- 1. The method of maintaining a uniform temperature ofhydrocarbon iiuid during the process of carbureting air or gas, by meansof a gradual inow of hot water, automatically controlled, from a steamor bath boiler, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. In combination with a carbureter, a hotwater box, D, having automaticfloat and valve for controlling the inIoW of the hot water and arrestingthe pressure thereof, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. The combination, with a hot-water box, D, of a pipe, b, andperforated coil b for evenly distributing hot water to temper the coldwater around the carbureting-vessel, substantially as and for thepurpose set forth.

4. The combination, with a carbureter having a water-jacket,of ahydrothermostat havinga sealed box, G, with a series of vertical tubes,h, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

5. The combination, with a carbureter, of a hydrothermostat and awaste-water cock, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

6. In a carbureter, the combination of an automatic hot-water inlet andan automatic cold-water outlet, substantially as and for the purpose setforth.

7. In combination, with a carbureter having a Water-jacket, thehydrothermostat, consisting of the tubular sealed box G, inverted cup Isealed in mercury, valve i, and intermediate devices, operated by theheat ofthe Water around the same, which 'heat controls the expansion andcontraction of the contents of the sealed box, substantially as and forthe purpose set forth.

8. The combination, with a carbureter, of the hydrothcrmostat,consisting of the tubullar sealed box G, inverted cup I sealed in anyoverflow of mercury, substantially as described.

In testimony that we claim the above We have hereunto subscribed ournames in the presence of two Witnesses.

ALONZO W. PORTER. FRANCIS M. GRIMES.

Witnesses:

JOHN F. ACKER, Jr., GEORGE E. UPHAM.

